Lighting and ignition switch



April 5, 1930. E. N. JACOB! 1,754,754

LIGHTING 'AND IGNITION SWITCH Original Filed Dec. 4, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.1 FIG. 2

WI TN ESSES 7 M6 Agg/ f April 1930. E. N. JACOB] I 1,754,754

LIGHTING AND IGNITION'SWITCH Original Filed Dec. 4, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WI TN E88 ES WYW ATTORNEY April 5, 1930. E. N. JACOBl 1,754,754

LIGHTING AND IGNITION SWITCH Original Filed Dec. 4, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 WITNESSES- ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD N. JACOBI, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO BRIGGS 82; STRATTON CORPORATION, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE LIGHTING AND IGNITION SWITCH Continuation of application Serial No. 753,890, filed December 4, 1924. This application filed April 15,

1925. Serial N0. 23,269.

This invention has for its object to provide a lighting and ignition switch for automobiles and has for its object to produce such a switch of inexpensive construction but neat in appearance and eflicient and durable in use.

Another object of the invention is to perfeet details of construction tending to simplify the manufacture and assembly of switches of this character.

Another object of the invention is to place the operating parts of such a switch under spring action that will avoid loose movement and rattling when subjected to vibration.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the lighting and ignition switches as herein claimed and all equivalents.

This case constitutes a continuation of my application with Charles L. Coughlin, Serial No. 753,890, filed December 4, 1924, for lighting and ignition switches.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts in different views,

Fig. 1 is a front view of a lightin and ignition switch constructed in accor ance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view with the terminal head removed;

Fig. 4. is a similar view with the switch members also removed;

contact member;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view;

. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view;

Fig. 7 is a face view of the terminal head; Fig. 8 is a view of the lighting switch driver;

Fig. 9 is a view of the lighting switch contact member;

Fig. 10 is a view of the ignition switch Fig. 11 is a view of the handle member; Figs. 12 and 13 are end and sectional views respectively of the lock sleeve;

Fig. 14 is a sectional detail on the line 14514; of Fig. 7, and f i 15 is a ers ective view 0 a fra ent of th e termindl helid. gm

In these drawings, 15 indicates a cylindrical switch-case of sheet metal with a closed end riveted to the back of a front-plate or panel 16 and with an open rear end provided with a cover 17 of insulating material forming a terminal head and bearing on the edge of the switch-case with notches 18 in its edge to receive lugs 19 which project from the edge ofthe switch-case and are clinched t0 the back of the terminal head.

A sheet metal switch handle member 20 fits within an opening in the front-plate or panel and has outwardly extending flanges 21 hearing against the back of the frontplate in a space provided for the purpose by the end of the switch-case 15 being bent downwardly, as shown in Fig. 6.v

-Driving lugs 22 projecting from the edge of the handle member pass through slots 23 of the depressed portion. of the end of the switch-case to engage notches 24 in the inner edges of a ring of insulating material 25, which forms a driver for the lighting switch. The lighting switch member comprises a ring 26 of sheet steel or other suitable material having lugs 27 bent therefrom to fit in notches 28 in the inner edge of the driver ring 25, whereby said lighting switch member is driven by the turning movements of the handle. ,Spring contacts 29 preferably in the form of U-shaped strips of spring metal are secured to the ring 26 as by having lugs 30 of said ring pass through opposite notches 31 in the contact springs and bent over and clinched thereon, as seen in Figs. 5

and 9. The ends of these contact springs are depressed to form ball-like contacts bent downwardly from the ring'26 and bearin with spring pressure against the termina head and adapted to engage detent notches 32 depressed in the face of the terminal head 17 or the recessed ends ofcontact studs 33 of said terminal head to efiect the usual changes in the lighting circuit of the automobile. The detent depressions 32, instead of being conical as heretofore, are V shaped in cross-section for their entire length and are produced by a tool having a bluntknife edge instead of a conical point. This causes the vulcanized fiber to be actually sheared at the ends of the line between the oppositely inclined cam surfaces so that the detent notch remains permanently instead of filling up by the swelling of the compressed unbroken fibers due to absorption of moisture or to the inherent tendency of the depressed fibers to resume their original position. The detent notches are disposed radially about the axis of the switch and the engagement therewith of the ball-shaped ends of the contacts serves to give a definite location to the switch member for its various operative positions.

A sliding tumbler lock barrel 34 has a reduced end mounted to turn in an opening in the handle member 20 and is contained with in a-cylindrical sheet metal lock sleeve 35, which, at one end, is provided with an inwardly turned flange engaging a shoulder of the reduced end of the lock barrel and at its other end is provided with lugs 36 engaged with notches in the edge of a central opening of the end of the switch-case. A spring washer 37 is confined between the flange of the lock sleeve and the handle member to take up play and the engagement of the lugs 36 with the notches of the switch-case end prevents the lock sleeve from turning. The lock sleeve in practice is formed up from a flat sheet metal blank and guards 38 are bent out from the cylindrical portion thereof to receive the tumbler slides of the lock barrel when the key 50 is withdrawn. A projection 39 on the end of the lock barrel extends into the switch-case through the opening in the end of the switch-case and engages stop lugs 40 thereon to limit the turning movement of the key. The stop lugs 40 extend beneath the lock barrel and form an end thrust hearing therefor.

A" contact disk 41 of insulating material has an opening to fit on the projection 39 of the lock barrel so as to be turned thereby and has secured to it a contact spring 412, preferably by means of countersunk rivets, as shown, one end of said spring forming a center ball-shaped contact and the other forming a ball-shaped contact at a distance from the center and both'bearing with spring pressure on the terminal head and adapted to contact with contact studs 43 similar to contact studs 33. I

The driver ring and contact disk are turned by the handle and the lock barrel respectively to effect the usual contact engagements of the lighting switch contacts and the ignition switch contacts for controlling the lighting and ignition circuits of the automobile. When the key is in place the ignition switch may be turned thereby to control the ignition but when the key is removed, which can only be done in the OE position when the tumbler slides are permitted to project into the spaces of the lock sleeve guarded by the projections 38, the ignition switch is positively locked against movement and can only be unlocked by the insertion of the proper key for withdrawing the tumbler slides to a ey will clear the edges position in which The switch thus provides of such openings.

for locking the ignition to prevent theft or unauthorized use of the automobile.

The lighting switch controlled by the handle member efiects the usual connections by means of the contact springs clinched to the metal contact ring and driven by the insulating ring forming a strong and durable structure having ample resiliency to insure proper electrical connections and still being of inexpensive construction.

The thrust of both switch members is taken by the bearing of the insulating parts against the end of the switch-case and other loose parts are prevented from rattling by having t7heir play taken up by the spring washer 3 What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is".

1. ln a switch, a switch-case having a closed end, a front-plate secured to the end of the switch-case, a handle member having an outwardly extending flange fitting in a space between the front-plate and the end of the switch-case, a lock barrel fitting in an opening of the handle memberand-bearing on the end of the switch-case, a lock sleeve surrounding the lock barrel and engaging the end 0;? the switch-case so as to be incapable of turning, and a spring between the lock sleeve and the handle member.

2. In a switch, a switch-case having a closed end, a front-plate secured thereto, a handle member having a flange fitting between the switch-case and the front-plate, a lock barrel fitting in the handle member and bearing on the switch-case, a lock sleeve surrounding the lock barrel and engaging the switch-case so as to be incapable of turning, a flange on the lock sleeve engaging a shoulder on the lock barrel, and a lock washer confined between the flange of the lock sleeve and the handle member.

3. In a switch, a switch-case having a closed end, a front-plate secured thereto, a handle member mounted to turn in the frontplate, a lock barrel having tumbler slides mounted in the handle member and bearing on the switch-case, and a cylindrical lock sleeve surrounding the lock barrel and engaged with the switch-case to be incapable of turning and provided with slots having outwardly ofiset guard members to receive the tumbler slides of the lock barrel.

4. In a switch, a terminal head of insulation material having V-shaped radial notches indented therein, the ends of said notches being cut. in said insulating material.

5. In a switch, a terminal head of vulcanized fiber having V-shaped detent notches indented therein, the ends of said notches being cut in the vulcanized fiber to prevent the displaced fiber. recovering from its indented conditiom Y 6. In a switch, a terminal head of insulation materialhaving detent notches formed therein with opposite walls inclined with respect to the face of the terminal head and with intermediate "walls normal to the face of the terminal head. x

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EDWARD N. J ACOBI. 

